Self-contained liquid dispenser-downstroke discharge



V. P. STEELE June 3, 1958 SELF-CONTAINED LIQUID DISPENSER DOWN-STROKE DISCHARGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 12, 1955 INVENTOR VERNON P. STEELE ATTORNEY June 3, 1958 v. P. STEELE 2,837,246

' SELF-CONTAINED LIQUID DISPENSER DOWN-STROKE DISCHARGE Filed April 12, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR VERON P STEELE ATTORNEY V. P. STEELE June 3, 1958 SELF-CONTAINED LIQUID DISPENSER DOWN-STROKE DISCHARGE Filed April -l2, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR VERON P STEELE BY W ATTORNEY SELF-CONTAINED LIQUID DISPENSER-DOWN- STROKE DISCHARGE Vernon P. Steele, Stamford, Conn., assignor to Kenco Products Corporation, Englewood, N. J.

Application April 12, 1955, Serial No. 500,872

Claims. (Cl. ZZZ- 309) dispenser incorporating flow smoothing means in the.

discharge tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a con- 7 tainer having spacedly mounted, detachable tank therein, and a cover-mounted delivery tube slidably mounting a submersible pump mechanism operatively associated with the tank.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a submersible plunger pump of the bottom fill-type adapted to be detachably mounted on a delivery tube fixedly secured in and integral with a tank cover, the cover detachably mounting the pump actuating means.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pump of the character described having mutually detachable piston and piston chamber elements jointly reciprocable on and over the bottom or inlet section of a fixed dispensing tube, the piston being fixed to and reciprocable by a separate actuating means, the piston chamber embodying a check valve inlet, and being slidably held in placeon the delivery tube. v

A further object of this invention is to providea submersible pump comprising a weighted pump chamber incorporating a footed, check valve inlet, and a weighted piston reciprocable in the chamber by a spring-biased actuating mechanism, the down-stroke of the piston, against the bias of the spring, serving to force liquid out of the chamber through the delivery tube, and the spring-biased up-stroke of the piston serving to create a vacuum in the chamber, whereby the chamber is filled with liquid inspirated through the check valve.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a pump mechanism of the characterdescribed, in which the pump chamber and associated piston are reciprocable, as a unit, on and over an axially disposed delivery tube, when the chamber isunsupported at its bottom, and only the piston is reciprocable when the chamber is supported at its bottom. I g p With these and other objects in view, which may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements, comprising my invention, may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangements, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. p 1 p In order to make my invention. more clearly under- Patented June 3, 1958 stood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical efiect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings: I v

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a dispensing container equipped with the novel plunger pump of the present invention, showing the pump actuator, delivery spout, and improved nozzle;

2 is a top plan view of the container shown in Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the nozzle, shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the nozzle shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the piston actuator rod in the down position; and

Fig.8 is a detail view of the discharge tube check.

valve.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 5, the novel dispensing apparatus will be seen to be comprised of an insulated container 10; an inner tank 20 and supporting means therefor; a cover 30 fixedly mounting a delivery tube 40; an encapsulated, spring-biased actuating mechanism 50; a weighted piston 80, secured to and reciprocable, by the actuating mechanism, on and over the bottom 46 of the delivery tube 40; a weighted pump chamber or cylinder 70, and a locking means 90, serving as a stop for the piston.

The container 10 is a double-walled, open-topped cylinder having an outer wall 11, and bottom 12; an

inner wall 13 and bottom 14, incorporating a dished or depressed central section 15. The top edges or rims of outer and inner walls 11 and 13, respectively, are joined by an integral, fiat annulus 16, which serves conjointly as a spacer for the walls and as a top-supporting annular bracket or hanger for the depending inner wall 13. The inter-wall space of member 10 may be filled with any suitable insulating material, such as asbestos or glass wool, or it may serve as a vacuum chamber. An apertured cup orraised ring support 17, is adapted to be- :seated in the depression 15, of inner bottom 14, the cup being deep enough to receive and support the well por tion of a separate, open-topped liquid tank 20, which will now be described.

The tank 20 has an upper cylindrical body portion 21, a tapered, bottom well or cup portion 22, and a down-- wardly sloping shelf or transition section 23 joining the body and the well. The top of the body is peened over to formvan everted, convexly curviform flange 24, having a circular rim 25, adapted to seat on and make line contract with the outer rim of spacer-annulus 16 of container 10. This type of contact makes for minimum of heat transfer path between the tank and the outer wall of the container, the tank and inner container wall being maintained at a substantially uniform temperature due to the body of cooled or heated liquid 19 contained in the chamber '18 defined by and between container 10 and tank 20. The rim 26 of the transition section 23 forms the top of well 22, which is provided with a flat bottom 27. The well serves to spacedly receive and support the footedbottom 76 of pump chamber 70, as will be described more in detail hereinafter. The downwardly sloping section or shelf 23 is supported on and by the ringsupport 17 in bearing engagement with the annular rim 26 of the shelf, the well bottom 27 being supported onand by the dished section15 of container 10. By

reason of the special mounting of the tank 20 in and on ring support 17, the weight of the tank and its contents are wholly supported from below, the top flange 24 serving as a locating and spacing member.

With tank 20 positively seated in raised ring support 17, and the latter seated in dished 'section'15 of the container bottom 14, the tank is fixedly oriented in the container and prevented from any lateral movement therein. The tank is readily removable from the container for cleaning, and is easily replaced therein, in positive, cooperative engagement and support. The space or chamber 18, as already noted, serves to receive coolant or heating fluid 19. Cooling coils or immersion heater elements, or other suitable equipment, if desired, may be permanently or detachably fitted in the chamber 18.

One of the special features of particular importance of the present invention is the use of a detachable cover for the container and its demountable tank, which cover fixedly mounts the delivery pipe 40, as well as providing an external support for the demountable actuator mechanism 50.

The cover 30, in the preferred form shown in the drawings, comprises an inverted, dished memberhaving a top 31 and a peripheral skirted flange 32. The top is slightly raised to provide a central platform section 33 incorporating a delivery tube-receiving, peened opening 34, and an actuator rod-journaling, peened opening 35. The cover is adapted to fit loosely over the top of container 10, with the marginal under surface of the cover seated on and supported by the curviform upper surface of flange 24 of tank 20, the skirted flange v32 depending well below the rim of container wall 11.

The cover fixedly mounts a unitary delivery tube 40 inthe following manner: The tube is of uniform internal diameter throughout its length, and is comprised of a bottom, vertical input section 41, a curviform transition section 42, and an upper, obtusely angled, rectilinear discharge section 43. The .tube entrant is designated by the numeral 44, and the discharge outlet by 45. The bottom section of the tube is turned down to form a shouldered shaftand bearing section 46-of slightly reduced outside diameter. A bail 47 is hingedly supported on the top of'discharge section 43,being received in tubular socket 48, fixedly secured to the tube by silver solder 49. The depending vertical section 41 of the tube is fitted into and through aperture 34 in the cover, the incident portion of the curviform transition section 42 serving as a stop member, and the tube is fixedly retained in the cover by a fillet of silver solder 36, or other suitable material.

The actuator mechanism 50, also mounted on the cover, but detachable therefrom, is more particularly disclosed and claimed in my application Serial No. 293,057, filed June 12, 1952, now Patent No. 2,752,072 issued June 26, 1956 for Adjustable Stroke Syrup Pump. As shown, the device comprises an encapsulated biasing spring 51, sheathed in telescoping, cup-shaped members 52 and 53. The bottom of member 52 has an axial aperture 54, in register with aperture 35 of the cover, and is .spacedly supported on and over thecover by raised annular bottom bearing edge 55. The top of the upper cage member 53 is provided with a threaded .axial aperture 57 adapted to receive the threaded upper end 89 of actuator rod 87, and also provides a bearingsurface for the bottom of combination actuator knob and lock-nut 58. The knob is providedwith a threaded axial. socket 59, adapted to threadedly engage the threaded end of the actuator rod. As will appear more fully .herinafter, the elements of the actuator mechanism are detachably held together, in operativeposition, on the cover-30, whenthe actuator rod of the pump mechanism is threadedly engaged by member 53 and-lock-nut'58. As will'also appear hereinafter, the dismantling of the pump mechanism'merely requires the unscrewing ofsocket member 53,- and associated locknut 58, from' thetop 89 ofthe aetuator -rod 87, whereby 4 the pump elements are freed from their spring-biased, interlocking engagement, and are mutually separable.

To complete the description of the cover-mounted elements, the special non-drip nozzle 60, of the discharge pipe 40 will be considered. This device is a plug member having a shouldered shank .61, mounting a plastic gasket 62, and adapted to be fitted in the discharge end 45 of the pipe 40. The plug has a flat-sided head portion 62 with a transverse groove 63 formed in the flat face 64, adapted to receive bail 47 in snap-locking engagement, whereby the plug is hermetically secured in place in the discharge pipe. The plug has an axial socket or tubulature 65, and an'interconnected radial discharge orifice 66. The orifice 66 .is positively oriented to discharge downwardly only, by forming the groove 63 above the transverse central plane of the plug.

The pump mechanism, detachably secured to and supported from and by the cover 20, is of the submersible type, and is comprised of a pump cylinder 70 and a piston 86, ,reciprocable thereinby actuator rod 87. The cylinder 70 has aside Wall 71, andvan axially apertured bottom .72 with an inner bottom surface 73, sloping upwardly from ,the central filler opening 74, in which a ball closure 75 is normally seated. The bottom of member 70 is providedwith spacer members or feet 76, disposed around opening 74, which are adapted to spacedly support thev pump in and on the bottom 27 of the well 22 of tank 29. The upper portion of the wall -71 is provided with diametrically opposed and aligned keying slots, adapted to receive the end portions of the bar 90 (Fig. 6). The interior of the cylinder forms a pump chamber 79, of variable capacity, with the piston 80.

The piston '80 is a cylindrical member having ,a top 81, bottom 82, outer surface '83, adapted for sliding, bearing engagement in and with pump cylinder 71, and an axial'opening 84; adapted for sliding, slip-fit, reciprocating engagement onand over the reduced bottom shaft section 460i discharge tube 40; The upper surface 81 of the piston is-providedwith a threadedsocket 85 adapted to receive the threaded bottom end 86.0f vertically ofiset actuatorrod 87, whose upper shank 88 is reciprocably received and journaledin cover opening 35, and whose threaded upper end 89 engages both actuator member 53 and actuator knob 58. 1

A special feature ofthepresent invention is the multiple function of tube 40,.thatisto say, its function as a delivery tube, rigid spindle and depending axial support for the pump elements, a combined reserve fluid holder and surgechamber, and as a flow smoothingdevice. As Willbe seen inlFigs.5, 7, and .8, a valved plug 46' is adapted to .be detachably secured in the inlet of the, dischargetube 40, said plug having a flanged head 44 and anaxial orifice,44- extending therethrough. -A cage, comprising. crossedwireloops .45 welded or otherwise attached to the plug 46,', serves to retaina ball valve.47', which isv normally seated on and over the orifice 44, closingthe same. The shankportion of the plug is adapted for'loose fit in the mouth or entrantportion of tube 40,-the.fl anged headserving as a stop member, when opposedto jthelbottom of the tube. ,The loops 45' are bent outwardly, as. 'shown,,an'd are adapted to. grippingly engage the insideof the tube when the plug, isinseated therein. Thecross-sectional areaof the, orifice 44 is less than the cross-sectional area of the .discharge tube 40. By reason of the relatively large capacity of tube 40, and the limited. entrant area afforded by the opening 44, flow into the .tube from the pump chamber 79 is restricted whereby smooth flow into the tubeis established and surge of the infiowing liquid therein, is prevented.

By incorporation ofcaged ball valve 47 on and over the down stream side of orifice 44, the apertured plug 46' is adapted to subserve thedual functions of'both a check valve and a' flow restrictor. The check valve ,serves'to maintain the tube 40 full of liquid to be dispersed, whereby the tube functions-- as a secondarymupply tank,- and liquid forced therein by the pump, serves as a replacement for an equivalent amount dispensed from the tube. It be noted that the tube 40 is always full of liquid, and the pump chamber is normally empty. When the liquid in the tank is introduced into the pump chamber, as the chamber is expanded, either wholly or in part, and actuator rod is moved, downwardly, the contained liquid is-forced up through plug 46 and check valve therein, into the delivery tube. It will thus be seen that because of the conjoint flow restrictor action of the check valve, delivery of fluid from the dispenser is under absolute control with respect to evenness of flow, and the discharge function of the apparatus is essentially independent of the manner and form of 'efiecting filling of the pump chamber. Accordingly, uniform flow delivery of dispensed fluid is assured. Y

The pump casing 70 is reciprocably secured to and mounted for reciprocation on shaft section 46 of the delivery pipe 40, and is prevented from undesired upward movement by locking bar 90. The bar 90 (Fig. 6), is a liar rectangular member adapted for slip-fit engagement in and through diametrically aligned slots, and extend-s beyond wall 71 at both its ends. The locking bar 90 is provided with a central opening 91 adapted to receive shaft 46 of delivery tube 40 in sliding engagement, the top surface of the bar having stop, bearing engagement against the shouldered portion of tube 41,forming the upper end of shaft section 46 'of the tube. a

The pump mechanism is assembled from its constituent parts, and adapted for operation in the following manner! The ball 75 of the check valve is dropped into pump casing 70, and seats itself on and over inlet 74. The piston 80 (with its fixedly attached actuator or pump rod 87) is inserted in chamber 79 and allowed to slide freely to'the bottom. 'I he locking bar 90 is slid in place in the slots of pump cylinder 70, and opening 91 is fitted over shaft 46 of tube 40, the pumpcasing 70 being pushed up, to 'appose keying bar 90,. in bearing engagement, against the shoulder formed in the lower segment of vertical inlet section 41 of the tube. The pump chamber 70, carrying the seated piston, 80 and its actuating rod 87,'is manipulated to introduce the threaded upper end 89 of the rod 87 up through opening 35 in the cover, and, on continuing the upward movement of the pump assembly, the axial opening or journal of the piston is slidingly engaged on and over the fixed piston shaft 46, until the upper surface 81 of piston 80 is apposed to the stop bar 90. In this upper, limiting position of the piston, the actuator rod is extended through the cover to its fullest extent. The assembly is manually held in this position while the spring bi-ased actuating mechanism 50 is assembled and locked on the threaded upper end 89 of the actuating rod.

The actuating mechanism is assembled and locked in place in the following manner:

The axial opening 55 of cup or socket member 52 is fitted over the rod and apposed to cover 30. The compression and biasing spring 51 is fitted over the rod and received and seated in the socket or capsule formed by member 52. The cap member 53, or upper capsule is fitted over the spring, and depressed, against the bias of the spring, until the threaded axial opening 57 in the top of the cap is threadedly engaged with the upper, threaded end :89 of the actuator rod. The cap is turned down on the rod until it is telescoped over socket 52 to the desired distance to determine the operating capacity of pump chamber 79. The actuator is locked in its selected position by lock nut 58 being threaded down over the tip of the actuator rod until it is brought into apposed, locking bearing engagement with the top of cap 53. The member 58 can be of any suitable configuration and is adapted to serve as an actuating knobfor the assembly. The outer surface of cup 52 may be provided with calibrated, spaced annular grooves 52a serving to indicate the capacity of the pump chamber. The surface of cap 53 may be machined to provide a gripping surface,

Thebiasing spring 51, acting through actuator rod '87 normally biases piston 80 into the up-position, the piston chamber being full of liquid retained therein by the bottom check valve. When the actuator is depressed, the top of cup 52 acts as a stop for the cap member 53. During the down-stroke of the piston, the liquid in chamber 79 is forced up into delivery tube 40 and out through non-drip nozzle 60. Because of the construction of the apparatus, it will be understood that the capacity of the pump chamber 79, for the delivery of a calibrated amount of liquid, must be equal to the volume of the desired outflow, plus the volume or capacity of the entire length of superposed tube 40. I

When the actuator knob is released, after completion of the discharge stroke, the biasing spring retracts the piston, creating a vacuum in the pump chamber 79, unseating the check valve75 and causing a simultaneous inflow of liquid from the tank, through the check valve.

The novel apparatus herein is readily demounta'ble, and can be assembled, by-hand, without requiring 'any tools. All parts exposed to liquid are readily accessible and of suflicient size to permit the use of conventional cleaning brushes, or other implements. The use of the improved non-drip nozzle with discharge tubes, eliminates any change of fouling up of the equipment due to surface irregularities serving as foci for the collection and accretion of deposited solids or semi-solids from out of standing liquids or films of liquid.

The apparatus herein is distinguished by exceptional ease of operation. This is by reason of the fact that the pump chamber 70 is self-seating on its footed supports 76, due to its weighted bottom. 'It will be observed that the bottom has an appreciable mass of metal embodied in the annulus defined 'by and between'inner, inverted .conical surface 73 and flat outer surface72, whereby the pump casing 70 is adapted to slide downwardly on shaft 46, into its foot-supported position, against the buoyant, uplifting effect of the relatively light liquids in which it is submerged; Additionally, the piston is relatively massive and of such atweight that it is substantially counterbalanced by the biasing spring 51, whereby the pressure required to depress the actuating knob on the down-stroke of the pump will need be only sufiicient to overcome the weight of the liquid in the pump chamber. This makes for smooth and substantially effortless, nontiring manual operation of the apparatus.

The apparatus is desirably made of stainless steel throughout, all joints being silver-soldered, so that a completely sanitary apparatus is provided, which is easily cleaned and sterilized, and in which the cooperating parts are assembled by mutual slip-fit engagement, with a total absence of threaded or recessed parts exposed to or submerged in a liquid.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth by way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed:

l. A dispensing pump unit for handling fluids contained in open-topped tanks, comprising, in combination, a skirted cover; a. vertically disposed discharge tube fixedly mounted in and extending through the cover, the tube having a depending body section and an uptilted spout section forming an obtuse angle with the body section; a discharge nozzle detachably fitted in the mouth of the spout, the nozzle embodying a radial discharge orifice; a spring-biased pump rod mounted for reciprocation in the cover; an actuating knob on the top of the rod; an axially apertured piston plunger eccentrically mounted on the bottom of the pump rod, the plunger belugs, whereby to raise the bottom from out of contact with the bottom of a liquid-containing tank and permit free inflow of liquid into the pump; a spherical valve closure member disposed in the pump and adapted to ,be seated in the axial aperture, whereby the pump is 1midirectionally valved; and an apertured locking bar in the top of the pump casing, receiving the discharge tube and 7 serving as a stop member for the plunger.

2. A dispensing pump accordingto claim 1, char,acterized by the fact that the pump casing and the plunger are relatively heavy, and the pump is self-seating in a dispensing container, the biasing spring being calibrated 'to slightly over-balance the weight of the plunger, whereby but a slight force is required to depress the plunger and actuate the pump.

3. A pump for dispensing liquids, comprising a cover adapted to be set over anopen-toppfid container, a discharge tube in the cover having, a depending leg and an integral, obtusely angled spout; a nozzle detachably fitted in the spout and incorporating a downwardly directed, flow-restricting discharge orifice; a pump chamber reciprocably mounted on the depending leg of the discharge and being detachably subjoined thereto, the chamber having a valved axial bottom inlet portion adapted to be spacedly held and supported'by the bottom of-the container; a weighted piston mounted for sliding engagement in the pump chamber andon and over the lower portion of the discharge tube; an encapsulated spring-biased actuator mechanism mounted on the cover, and a plunger e fi e y secu ed to th weighte pi t and a i a y secured to the actuatormechanism, whereby the depression of the actuator forces the piston into the pump chamber and the contents of the chamber are forced out through the discharge tube.

A pu p iordi nensi g liqui s, comprising a cover,

adapted to beset over an open-topped container, a dis. charge tube in theicover'having a depending leg and an integral, obtusely angled spout; a nozzle detachably fitted in the spout andincorporating a downwardly directed, flow-restricting discharge orifice; a pump chamber reciprocably mounted on the depending legs of the discharge tube, and detachably subjoined thereto, a valve in the bottom'of the chamtzer comprising an, axial port and a ball closure; 2. second chokevalve comprising an apertured plug mounting a wire cage and seating a ball closure, the said second =v;alye being seatablein and closing the endof the discharge ;tube; an encapsulated springbiased actuator mechanism,mounted on the ,cover, a weighted piston mounted ffor sliding engagement with the pump chamber, and aplunger rod fixedly secured to the weighted piston and adjustably .SGQured to the actuator mechanism, whereby the depression of theactuator forces the piston into the pumpchamber and the contents of the chamber are forced out through the discharge tube.

5. A dispensing pumpaccording to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the gvalved inlet orifice of the second va lve forms -a;bottom closure fora storage and surge chamber defined: by the discharge tube.

Refereneescitedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

